Minneapolis Connects - October 2016

Celebrate Indgenous Peoples Day on October 10th

Join the City of Minneapolis and American Indian Community in celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, October 10th.

Since 2014, the City recognizes the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day, marking and celebrating the significance of the American Indian and Indigenous community in Minneapolis, as well as the city’s history of American Indian activism. Along with the federal government, for many years Minneapolis recognized the day as Columbus Day.

Help the City of Minneapolis plan for the future

You can share your feedback with city planners and engage with artists to plan for the future development of Minneapolis. Minneapolis 2040 is an update to the City’s comprehensive plan, a document that shapes how Minneapolis will grow and change. The plan covers housing, job creation, the design of new buildings, and how we use our streets.

We want to hear from you. Join us at one of these family-friendly, interactive open houses. Enjoy complimentary refreshments and food from local vendors.

5-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25Midtown Global Market, 920 E. Lake St.

5-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27North Commons Park, 1801 James Ave. N.

Your city

We want Minneapolis to be a strong, growing, diverse and inclusive city. How can we do this and provide diverse housing options, sustainable jobs and a transportation system that works for everyone?

Your community

Your community should be safe, livable, healthy and sustainable. Do you have access to what you need on a daily basis?

Your voice

Your voice is important in shaping the future of Minneapolis. You know how you experience the city every day and what it takes to create a more equitable future for everyone. Help us build on what’s working and fix what isn’t.

The Hmong
American Mutual has been operating in the City of Minneapolis for decades
providing direct services to the Hmong and other Southeast Asian
communities. As a pillar organization, Hmong American Mutual works
directly with the Neighborhood and Community Relations (NCR) department to connect
the Hmong community to the programs and services of the City of Minneapolis,
and to increase Hmong participation in city programs and services.

Due to a unanticipated funding cut, the Hmong American Mutual had to move out of their north Minneapolis office spacein June 2016. With the support of NCR’s Southeast Asian Community
Specialist and the Shingle Creek Neighborhood Association (SCNA), the Hmong
American Mutual organization found a new office space located in the same
building as SCNA and returned to
Minneapolis in mid-September.

NCR’s Southeast Asian Community Specialist
facilitated a meeting between Dr. Xailong, Executive Director for Hmong
American Mutual and Pam Owens, SCNA Board Chair, Carol McCrillis, SCNA Board
member and Treasurer, and Amy Luesebrink, SCNA staff to build a working
partnership. The following possible joint projects were discussed:
Southeast Asian SoccerConnections Engagement; SEA Community Garden; An annual
Hmong American New Year celebration in Shingle Creek; Improvements to the
intersection of 51st Avenue North and Brooklyn Boulevard; Adding a
Hmong member to the SCNA’s Board of Directors; joint funding proposal for a
Youth program; and a joint voter engagement initiative. “I am excited for
this new partnership. We need to be educated about our Hmong residents”,
said Carol McCrillis.

Neighborhood Story: Embracing Renters Rights

Image courtesy of Corcoran Neighborhood Association

In a city where the majority of residents rent, the voice
and priorities of tenants have historically been under-represented in
neighborhood organizations and city decisions. Renters throughout the city are
actively working to change that and a coalition of neighborhoods are supporting
the work of tenants to make their voices heard and fight for fair housing. The
Minneapolis Renters Coalition (MRC) received a Community Innovation Fund grant
in 2015 to support their work in engaging with renters throughout the city. MRC is made up of the Beltrami Neighborhood
Council, the Central Area Development Organization, the Cleveland Neighborhood
Association, Corcoran Neighborhood Organization, Harrison Neighborhood, Holland
Neighborhood Improvement Association, Homeline, Inquilinxs Unidxs, The Lyndale
Neighborhood Association, Minnesota Center for Neighborhood Organizing, Nokomis
East Neighborhood Association, Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association, St.
Anthony East Neighborhood Association and the West Bank Community Coalition.

Inquilinxs Unidxs got its start within the Lyndale neighborhood
and has actively worked with Latinx residents to stand up against unsafe and
unlivable housing conditions in their apartment buildings. The Minneapolis
Renters Coalition has fought on behalf of over 130 tenants in four
neighborhoods impacted by the unsafe conditions perpetuated by the landlords in
this community. Now they are working hard to ensure their fight for housing
justice doesn’t result in displacements due to the sale of their homes to
private investors.

“Building renter leadership and embracing a renter’s rights
agenda at a neighborhood level creates opportunities for homeowner allies to
support the work through actions like signing a petition or contacting their
city council member,” shared Corcoran Executive Director, Eric Gustafson.

The work of these neighborhoods on behalf of their residents
rights to safe housing has received extensive media coverage and is an ongoing
part of the work of the neighborhoods to ensure all residents voices are heard
and valued in the priorities of their communities. Learn more at http://mplsrenters.weebly.com.

Northside Renters Forum held at UROC

On September 15th, a north side community
organization, 1Family1Community, hosted a Northside Renters Forum at the Urban
Research and Outreach Engagement Center with over 70 city residents in
attendance. The Neighborhood and Community Relations, Regulatory Services and
City Coordinator Departments for the City of Minneapolis and the Northside
Neighborhood Council were partners for the event.

The event featured the use of open space technology as an
engagement tool to get the meeting attendees to decide the meeting topics for
the evening and what conversations they would like to be a part of. The evening was community led and attendees
left with tangible action steps they could personally take on to help address
the housing concerns they had.

Help shape our city — apply for openings on Minneapolis boards and commissions

Applications
are now being accepted for a number of open board and commission positions that
the City Council and mayor will appoint this fall. Board and commission members
in the City of Minneapolis provide valuable insights, help shape key policy
decisions and provide community-based input into administration of services.
The City is seeking applicants with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences
to strengthen the work of the City.

Applications
will be reviewed beginning Oct. 21. The positions are open until filled. There
are 151 open positions on 17 City boards and commissions:

Visit the City’s website for a list of appointment opportunities, position
descriptions and the applications.

The
City of Minneapolis has more than 50 volunteer-based boards, commissions and
advisory committees that advise the City on issues and help with policy
development and administration of services. Boards and commissions fall into a
handful of categories: appeal boards, development boards, general advisory
boards, and special service districts, which are defined areas within the city
where special services are rendered.

Appointments
to board and commissions are made twice a year — in the spring and fall.

This
streamlined appointment process makes it easier for people to learn about
volunteer opportunities, ensures a more open and understandable process for
residents and staff, and increases the diversity of the applicant pool.

Meet a Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commissioner: Marcus Mills

How long have you been active in
your community and what made you get involved in community work?

I've been
involved in local politics and community activism since 2011, when a friend of
mine told me about the fact that our neighborhood association was engaging in
discriminatory practices toward students and renters. This surprised me greatly, mainly because in
the decade I had been living there, I had no knowledge of a neighborhood
association existing. I was a renter,
you see, and still am. There was no
outreach to me on an official level, even though I am always pleasantly engaged
as I walk and wander. I've been involved
for the purposes of equity, outreach, inclusion and the betterment of the lot
for our neighborhoods, communities, habitat and residents ever since.

What do you like most about your
neighborhood or community?

Between the
green and historic character of Marcy-Holmes and our friendly, welcoming
residents, that is a very difficult question to answer. Maintaining the beautiful spirit of the
neighborhood, that brought me here, so that so many others can share that
experience, is so important to me.

Are there other boards and
committees you are or have been on?

I'm an
officer and board member in the DFL, on the board and committee co-chair in
Marcy-Holmes, and Vice President of the environment and energy non-profit
Community Power.

Do you have any tips for residents
interested in running for neighborhood boards and/or City boards and commissions?

Get to know
your neighbors and what their concerns are, research the organization that you
want to join and have a definite topic that you want to advance with the
organization, and then be ready to do real work to actually advance that issue
(be up front about your positions, while listening to everyone else's)

Anything else you’d like to share
about yourself?

I came into
the NCEC with the intention to help bring folks together in equity and help
create clear paths of communication, outreach, unity and healing. This will take a great deal of work and out
of the box thinking. I'll need a lot of
help from my peers in the neighborhoods, the commission and the city, but the
rewards could be astonishing and long-lasting, if we do it right.

***

The
“Meet a Commissioner” series of the monthly Minneapolis Connects newsletter is
intended for readers to get to know representatives of the Neighborhood and
Community Engagement Commission (NCEC). The NCEC is a 16 member board that
advises the Mayor and City Council on a wide range of community engagement
issues.

The
NCEC is responsible for developing guidelines for the City’s principal
neighborhood funding program, the Community Participation Program, as well as
the One Minneapolis Fund and the Community Innovation Fund. The Commission also
works to broaden participation on advisory boards and commissions and develops
recommendations for improving the City’s public participation process.

The
Commission meets every 4th Tuesday of the month at 5:00p.m. Learn more about the Commission. Executive
Committee and City Department Engagement Committee

Street sweeping begins Oct. 18

Street Sweeping Video. Click image to play.

Crews are preparing for the fall street sweeping across
Minneapolis. Drivers will need to park out of their way so they can do a
thorough job cleaning our roadways.

Minneapolis Public Works will begin the big task of
curb-to-curb sweeping and leaf collection on streets throughout the city Tuesday,
Oct. 18. During the four weeks of the comprehensive fall street sweep, crews
will clean up about 1,100 miles of city streets. To make sure the sweepers can
do the best job possible, temporary “No Parking” signs will be posted at least
24 hours in advance so streets will be clear of cars when they’re swept. The
first signs will be posted Monday, Oct. 17, and sweeping will begin the next
day. Anyone who parks on the street will need to follow street sweeping parking
rules or their cars may be ticketed and towed.

Early Voting has begun

Get out the Vote Video. Click image to play.

The
City of Minneapolis reminds eligible voters that planning ahead can save them
from standing in long lines on Election Day. Any voter can now vote early by
mail or in person at one of four locations around the city.

For
those who want to vote on Election Day, pre-registering is an easy way to stay
out of the registration line. Individuals are eligible to vote if they are at
least 18 years old and U.S. citizens who have lived in Minnesota for at least
20 days before the election. Any voter who has moved or changed his or her name
since last voting must re-register.

Are you pre-registered?
All individuals whose registration applications are received by elections
officials by 5 p.m. Oct. 18 will be pre-registered for the Nov. 8 general
election. Online registrations must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Oct. 18. Voters
who newly register or update their registration will receive a postcard
notifying them where to vote.

Voters
can pre-register online or by filling out a
registration application they can pick up at government offices or print from
the elections website and mail in.

Voters
who miss the deadline to pre-register may still be able to vote. In Minnesota
individuals may register at the polls on Election Day by providing one of the
forms of identification required by Minnesota law. They will need to allow
extra time at the polls to register. See the elections website for the list of identification
required to register and vote on Election Day.

The Voter Registration Lookup allows voters to enter their
names, birthdays and addresses to confirm whether they are registered.

Election
judges are needed for the general election Nov. 8 to serve voters in local
polling places. Election judges are paid $13.30 per hour for their service,
which includes training. Serving as an election judge provides an opportunity
to learn about the election process and is an important service to our
community. Judges who are fluent in a second language are especially needed to
provide additional language support in the polling place, including Spanish,
Somali, Hmong, Oromo, Lao, Vietnamese, Russian and American Sign Language.

Selection
and placement of judges is based on qualifications of applicants and party
balance within the precinct. Preference will be given to those willing to serve
a full day in a precinct with a vacancy.

For more information

The
Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services Division is responsible for
administering elections in the City of Minneapolis. For information about
registering and voting in Minneapolis or to serve as an election judge,
residents can visit vote.minneapolismn.govor call 311
or 612-673-3000.

About this newsletterMinneapolis Connects is published by the City of Minneapolis Neighborhood and Community Relations Department. If you have questions, please contact ncr@minneapolismn.gov.

For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats please contact Cheyenne Brodeen at 612-673-3737. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 agents at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-673-2157 or 612-673-2626.